Sopona (or Shapona) is the god of smallpox in the Yoruba religion. The Yoruba people of Nigeria believed that smallpox was a disease foisted upon humans due to Shapona's "divine displeasure", and formal worship of the God of Smallpox was highly controlled by specific priests in charge of shrines to the God. People believed that if the priests were angered they were capable of causing smallpox outbreaks through their intimate relationship with Shapona. Suspecting that the priests were deliberately spreading the disease, the British colonial rulers banned the worship of Shapona in 1907. Worship continued, however, with the faithful paying homage to the God even after such activities were prohibited. Shapona was exported to the New World in the slave trade, where he became known as Omolu or Babalu Aye in the Orisha religion. Shakpana is an equivalent in Dahomey mythology.

The Goddess Tara is probably the oldest goddess who is still worshipped in modern times. She appears in many manifestations in the religions and philosophies of Asia, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and other Tantric beliefs who all accord her high stature. She is a compassionate deity who was born from a tear of Avalokita, the one who reached the highest understanding. There are many embodiments of Tara, but the best known are the White Tara and the Green Tara.

Tara is our guide through the stages of life and is sometimes seen as the boat woman who leads us across from the churning "sea" of the physical world into the sublime "nirvana" of the heavenly world. The White Tara is usually pictured as beautiful woman who sits enthroned on her lotus seat. She is a compassionate goddess who can also be playful but when she becomes the "Green Tara" (The Mother Earth) she can be a fierce goddess who can be evoked to help overcome impossible difficulties save us from both physical and spiritual danger.

Tara is an archetype of our own inner wisdom. It is she who keeps us "centered" and helps us as we navigate the depths of our unconscious minds. Because she is a goddess of self-mastery, she can inspire us to continue even though the going gets tough.

Write a list of any persistent should's and ought's that keep at least one of your feet solidly perched on the precarious platform of perfectionism. Next, write out another list with a more "life-friendly" message giving yourself permission to acquire skills and learn lessons through trial and error. Then, symbolically or literally throw your first list in the garbage.